


Embarrassed

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, and this has some ocs ish i, i dont know what im doing..., i hope my english got better, im literally in pain just thinking about htis ohfrfm
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-02-01
Packaged: 2018-09-20 22:53:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9519614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "Keith, do you even like coffee?" Pidge would ask, their bed hair all messy, just after a whole three periods of 8am class. "I thought you were more of a tea person, for some reason."Keith knew Pidge was right. But there was another reason he kept visiting that café.





	1. Pass!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is a tired boy. A _very very_ tired boy.

**October 13th**  
**11:15AM**

Mornings on campus were always slow and heavy for Keith. He had forced himself to apply for early classes, expecting that he could have more time to sleep by the end of the day. But, clearly, after only half a semester of freshman year, he was wrong. He was so, so wrong. He didn't even enjoy his earliest classes, which was bad, because they weren't going to get him back on his feet to start the day, and rather made him even more sleepy. He didn't enjoy the negativity that he knew would result from this, as it was already bursting at the seems. He reached his dorm exhausted, and his roommate, Michael, just laughed. "You stupid, stupid freshmen," he would always say, "thinking that morning classes are the way to go. You're torturing yourself, day by day."

Keith would typically just yawn and do a 'whatever' type gesture, but he was completely worn out. He was sweating out of control, and he was breathing so hard that Michael felt genuine concern. "H-hey," Michael stuttered, "are you okay?"

Keith moved from the door to his tiny twin bed that he had felt comfortable with, despite being drenched in buckets of sweat. "I'm fine," he said, as if not even bothering to try to fake it, "just tired is all."

"You're going to fucking pass out, dude," Michael said, worry giving him goosebumps. "You're soaking in a nice, long bath alone, or I'm going to fucking put you in it."

Keith was glad his upperclassman had been so caring today, but he was also... confused. "Soak? In a _tub?_ You know we live in a dorm, right–"

"Yes, I do, which is why you're coming with me and some dudes I met around here. I'm pretty sure they're freshmen too."

 

**October 13th**  
**11:57AM**

 

"Hunk?" Michael called, into a dark, but large hallway of a fairly sized boarding house. "I brought Keith..?"

As the lights switched on, the poor, tired Keith that had walked all the way for over half an hour, noticed that this was no ugly little boarding house. A bubbly student came rushing down the grand-looking staircase, smiling from ear to ear. He greeted Michael gleefully, and as he looked to Keith–

He seemed mesmerised. He wasn't so much in shock, but more pleasantly surprised, as if he didn't expect Keith of all people would have been brought along, but he sucked up the idea. The truth was, he was very happy about it.

"Keith..?"

"..?"

There was an odd silence between the two, and they had noticed that there was no heavy tension as well. Hunk was just sort of staring down, as if _inspecting_ Keith's figure. First came his eyes, then his hair, then his nose and the rest of his face. Eventually Hunk's eyes wandered to examine Keith's abdomen, after seeing his plain chest. Nothing special, clearly– Keith was lean, clearly fit to some extent, but it was obvious that he couldn't sustain the weight of whatever Hunk perceived as a feather. Hunk then had himself staring at Keith's legs. He felt unaccomplished. From this whole series of seconds standing silent with only his eyes moving in the hallway, he got nothing. He was sure he noticed something about Keith that made him much more distinct and less fresh. He had at least known Keith from somewhere.

It wasn't until Keith spoke that Hunk found the reasoning to his plead for notice. He was so curious that he would explode, but just a voice answered so many questions his soul could bear.

"Yes? I'm Keith Kogane. Nice to meet... you..?"

_"Keith!"_

"Wha–"

"We were s-so close in middle s-school and high school," Hunk exclaimed, his excitement preventing him from standing still any longer. "O-Oh my god, holy shit, we were so close! I c-can't believe I would s-see you here o-of all places... I can't b-believe I haven't f-forgotten you..."

Keith was confused, and he was sure he was going to faint. Michael noticed this, and urged for Hunk to hurry him to the bathtub.

 

**October 13th**  
**12:30PM**

 

_Setting: Bathroom_

"Hey, Hunk," Keith hummed, relaxing in his warm bath. "What were you saying back then? I'm really sorry, I couldn't think straight. I'll he happy to listen to whatever it was right now, though. I feel much better."

"Oh, chill, dude," Hunk replied, with a sheepish smile. "I was stuttering... like a kid, it didn't even matter. You probably... won't get it if I told you now either." Hunk was accompanying Keith in the bathroom by his side, after having fallen asleep there, when Keith had just settled into the bath not even 30 minutes prior. Keith's voice had woken him up. "But I mean, if it bothers you then..."

"It doesn't," Keith said, "but I just want to know. You were so... enlivened. Ecstatic."

"We used to be best friends through middle school and a bit of high school," Hunk said steadily as he collected himself to say it. He didn't know why it shook him so much to the point in which he was so nervous about it. "I guess it might have made you uncomfortable. Because, like, I knew you had to transfer a lot and stuff. But we always met here and there. I really missed your cocky company when I got to high school, so I guess I always looked way animated upon seeing you."

"Holy shit– You're _that_ Hunk?!"

_They chatted for over an hour after said statements were established. Keith was so excited and happy that he didn't even bother going to his last class at 5pm. He stayed over at the boarding house. There was a very tranquil and nice group of people staying with Hunk in that house– one named Shiro, and another named Allura, who was clearly dating one of them and just enjoyed staying over often._

 

**October 13th**  
**7:30PM**

 

Allura, one of the people 'staying' in the house, had her eyes fixated on Keith. "You must have great agility. Your body is the slender kind of fit. Ah, I'm just assu–"

"What?" Keith asked, not clearly hearing what she said, his face stuffed with chicken. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."

"Have you ever done track?" Shiro asked, doing the restating for Allura himself.

"Kind of, if you consider going to five out of 50 meetings to be joining," Keith replied. "I had registered to join some time in high school, but I was already chasing neighbourhood pets that I earned money from taking care of. That would've been more intense than track in the long run anyway, I'm pretty sure it was." Laughter filled the room, and eventually, more non-personal and light icebreakers had left the room cheerful and happy vibes spread like the sweet scent of Shiro's shampoo. _AN: Fuck, it probably smells good, okay?_

 

**October 13th**  
**7:45PM**

 

"What's the worst that could happen if you stayed over just for tonight?" Shiro asked Michael and Keith. "It's not like you're going to fuck up anything. You don't have to tell the guards or your watchers that you're out sleeping with others. Say that it's to spend time with your family. Or something..?"

Michael look towards Keith, and you could see Keith's mood drop like a droop snout on his expression. But he wore a very realistic smile, clearly because he wanted to stay over, but then he remembered that he didn't want to care too much about everyone there, because that would lead to various misunderstanding amongst his favourite profs.

"Sorry, it was a blast– I'll come back for sure, but maybe not stay," Keith said, clearly shivering from being so agitated of rejection. "Michael, let's go. Goodnight, guys."

"I'll see you tomorrow morning," Michael called back, as he was dragged across the road back to campus.

 

**October 13th**  
**8:03PM**

 

"Were you feeling uncomfortable? I'm sorry I couldn't do anything. They mean a lot already... I mean, well, I know I just met them and all–"

"Yeah, I know," Keith said, giggling under his sheets. "I don't care about being an orphan that much unless someone does... _that_." "Haha, yeah. I know you like the back of my hand." "Really, now?" Keith replied, sticking his hands out front and shifting his feet into a sprinting position. He got down and arched his back, fingers tracing the ground in the dark. "Did you know, before today, that I did track one way or another?" " _There they go again,_ " sighed an art professor, already out of breath just looking at the two waste their energy. "Hey, you two," he exclaimed, "don't be late! It's almost roll call–" 

 

**October 13th**  
**8:15PM**

 

"That damn art bastard," Michael muttered. "Fucking bitch. It's still not even nine yet. Isn't roll call at like, midnight? GOD."

"Calm down, your watch might just be fucked," Keith said. "I mean, there's no way we can tell what time it is for sure when we lost track a few minutes ago. Look how dark it is–"

Keith was trying to act all calm and collected, but he was shaking. Shivering down to his toes, as the reality had happened before– he was having a one-night-stand he never knew would mean nothing in the future (one that he told no one about, either)– upon coming back, he had no idea he was panting so hard and pretending that he was fine to the point he passed out. Had he not gone, he would have still come late– there was no person that could pick him up from a house holstered up in an alleyway. It wasn't even fully house– it was a house-shop kind of thing. He was genuinely scared if the house watchers or guards would find him still awake.

 

**October 13th**  
**11:09PM**

 

Keith was already in his room, with Michael, doing absolutely nothing. They were just lounging around in a cold, dark room. Michael had just finished studying, and Keith had too– except 'studying' was an understatement. They crawled back to their beds covered in cold sweat. Homework made them want to die.

"You're going to pass out for like, the third time in 12 hours."

"I didn't even pass out once..."

"Okay, but you nearly did. And yes, thrice. _At least_ thrice."

"Hey, wait... Shh..."

"What?" Michael said, loudly, startled. "Keith, are you oka–"

"Shh!! I hear footsteps... Who'd be out so bravely yet so late..."

"Hey, I'm looking for Keith Kogane? He... I think he's the one that was, um, with me one night? It's not much!! But please give me back my shirt!!", the voice called. It was definitely not someone Keith wanted to be familiar with on campus.

"Keith? Keith _Kogane?_ "

"Shhh!!!" Keith whisper-shouted, turning off all the lights in the room.

"You have some fucking explaining to-"

"Michael, hide under the covers. Count sheep."

_"Creeeeeeeek!–"_


	2. Running Late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The worst of its kind.

**October 14th**  
**7:15AM**

"Keith, wake up. It's a Saturday, you know what that means."

"No, I don't," Keith groaned, slowly slipping off his twin bed. "Shut up and... get cheeri..ossss..."

"Your words are slurred, I don't understand a thing~"

Keith slumps onto the floor and stays there for a good 15 minutes.

"You have a class meeting at 8AM, smartass."

"I have a whaaaat..?"

Michael gets tired and sets an alarm to go off in a few seconds. He then waits, sitting in mild silence as he startles his friends and watches as the goosebumps build up.

 _"I'll say it one more time,"_ Michael scoffs. "You have a meeting... in about half an hour."

_"I HAVE A WHAT?_

**October 14th**  
**9:00AM**

"How'd it go, kid?"

"It went... well, I guess," Keith said, shrugging. "I was so tired that I nearly got myself electrocuted. Jesus, can you believe that, Michael?"

"Why..." Michael laughed, "am I, a good-off, adult 20 year old, associated with a shitty 18 year old again?"

"First, because you thought taking a gap year was a good idea and your let your semester scholarship expire and burn to a crisp," Keith replied, leaving Michael downright stunned, "and second, because we're roommates."

Keith looked around the road they had picked to eat lunch on– if they got run over, tuition would be paid or they'd die, so it'd be a win-win situation. "Hey, don't you have something to do right about now?"

"What?" Michael said. He was confused as well as slightly offended. "Um, Keith, are you trying to push me away?"

"Wha– No!" Keith exclaimed. "It's... I'm serious. I _swear_ you had something to do."

"Well I don't. Whatever, I'll be heading to our room. I think I see one of your friends there?" Michael said, pointing somewhere beyond Keith's visual horizon at the moment. He waves his finger a bit, as if circling said person, but it does no justice for the likes of Keith. "Can you really still not see what I'm–"

"No," Keith said, rubbing his eyes. "Listen, I'm tired..."

"As usual. Whatever, that's fine," Michael laughed. "You'll see what I mean soon. Said person heading here... coming over right about now."

"Alright, man. Bye."

**October 14th**  
**9:10AM**

"Hey, Pidge," Lance smiled. "How's everything going?"

"Great, really," Pidge said. "Um, are you okay, though? I'll be honest– Hunk got really concerned."

" _Hunk?_ " Keith questioned. "You... you know about Hunk too?"

"Are you dumb? You guys were my upperclassmen... you guys literally still went to my high school not even a whole year ago," Pidge grunted. "Get your brain checked. You're whack tired."

"I know, I know," Keith mumbled. "I just... I can't focus."

"Is there something bothering you?"

"Not something I didn't put into my own two hands. It's... really all my fault, but I hate having to actually handle it. It's hard."

"Poor poor college kids," Pidge chuckled. After looking at Keith's now _much_ thinner torso, they proceeded. "Um, don't take that to heart."

"I'm eating fine," Keith said, picking up on Pidge's observations. "It's just..."

"Just what?"

"Well..." Keith shrugged, faint pink dusting his ears. "Don't you dare fuck me up at this, okay?"

"Yes sir."

"I... I signed up for all morning classes. Monday through Friday. Just so I wouldn't have weekends."

Pidge sighed.

Then inhaled.

Then broke out into a very loud and obnoxious laugh.

It didn't stop for a while.

"Pidge!"

"I-I'm sorry! Just... oh my god. Morning classes _everyday_? You're a _genius_ , Keith. A real fucking genius."

"And I'm too tired after homework to get the sleep I always expect at the end of the days. I need something to ease my mind a little."

"I have an idea."

"Caffeine won't work."

"Oh, but it will."

"You and your _subtle_ little moves, Pidge," Keith said, rolling his eyes.

"'Subtle' is my middle name."

"Okay, yeah, whatever."

**October 14th**  
**10:10AM**

_Setting: Keith's room_

"Huh? Where's Michae-"

On his bed was a written note. For some reason it wasn't on regular cheap A4, but rather, on a very nicely decorated card. Keith was confused– it was obvious that they had run out of ink and printer paper, but not yet as of earlier, so using the card was unnecessary. And if the card was what was used, then who used the last sheet of printer paper?

"What's this..."

_Dear baby brother Keith,_

_I'm really sorry for being so stubborn. I was half an hour late for a date. By date I don't mean an assignment. I was genuinely late to go out with someone. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Wrapped your favourite little snack in the paper next to this!! xoxo, mickey!_

"Jesus... a fucking tiny cookie."

Keith took a bite after very carefully placing it on his palm. As he bit, tingling sensations satisfied his whole body.

"Ah, tastes so good... where do I get... more..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!!
> 
> I'm sorry this is so short rip!! I'm not very good at long chapters (clearly).
> 
> Also, just to clarify a few things:
> 
> Michael: Age 20, male, university sophomore (2nd year)
> 
> Keith: Age 18, male, university freshman (1st year)
> 
> Pidge: Age 17, ???, high school


End file.
